All The Best Plans ... that did not happen this week...

These are the steps that I use to go to work ...and I'll be using them again soon!

I had great plans of storing some posts this week. It never managed to happen! tomorrow I have back surgery and so things will a little slow 'round here for a bit. I promise to post some things of interest as soon as I can put fingers to the keys and write something that won't embarrass myself!

See you soon!

More About Roslyn Washington

 For any of you Northern Exposure Fans this is one building that you might recognize. It's still clear and bright but the restaurant was closed the whole time we were there. Ostensibly the building/restaurant is at least partially owned by a member of the rock group U2. No one seems to know what the father of this remarkable landmark will be.

 The Brick watering hole may also be familiar from the show. We walked past it and I could not bring myself to go in to eat there as it reminded me of the smell of a local place at home that I won't go into although it does, in fact, make the best burgers in town - and it may well be that The Brick also makes great food!

 The main street

 Roslyn has long been a mining community - fabulous bits of history of of mixed cultures blending together peacefully (for the most part) and working together.

 Cowboy time

 The most interesting place in Roslyn is the Historic Cemetaries. I found the following synopsis of them on Wikipedia - and the information is the same as from the book I bought about Roslyn:

"...The Roslyn Historical Cemetery, actually 25 separate but adjacent cemeteries, was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. Clustered on 15 acres (61,000 m²) of woods and hills above the main street, the land was donated by or purchased from the Northern Pacific Company by fraternal, ethnic and civic organizations for burial of their deceased members. The Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF); Knights of Pythias Lodge; Soloka Lodge; Wanapum Tribe 28, Improved Order of Redmen; Cacciatori D’Africa (literally Hunters of Africa – an Italian Lodge), Croatian Fraternal Union Lodge No. 56, SNF Lodge No. 79 (Croatian); Saint Barbara Lodge No. 39 (Greek Catholic); and Dr. David Starcevich Lodge No. 56 (Croatian) are among the organizations and ethnicities represented in this cemetery. At least 24 nationalities are represented within the nearly 5000 graves...."

Some of the markers were quite amazing - for many differing reasons. I wish I had been able to spend some hours there with a pad of tracing paper - rubbings of some of the stones would have been great to bring home!

 I loved this metal, aged cross....

 Interesting inscriptions...

 I think that this was meant as a temporary substitution plaque for the beautiful marker. The cemeteries are undergoing a great restoration effort - we all contributed something to their fund

 I just thought that the old world influence on this marker was lovely

 Beautiful gates surrounded some spots - This whole gate was a lovely work of art!

 This marker just about said it all to me.... a dove flying free beyond the gates

 Primitive but moving - and obviously old

 Simple and cared for

 Fancy, newer but lovely. There were, unfortunately 

many, many markers of infants and very young children in this acreage.

Epidemics were rampant I gather an many died in the Pandemic Flu season of 1918.

Most of the children's markers included lambs

 This garden was absolutely unbelievable. I couldn't believe that there was so much color left at this time of year. The woman who lives in this house is not only a master gardener extraordinaire but also a fan of Halloween I think!

 Even the sign post by her property was decorated!

 This building was one of my favorites in the town. It did not seem to contain anything but it enchanted me. Next store is a wonderful little art galled called, simply enough, Smith Art.  The wonderful woman who owns the gallery wanted to buy my shawl of many colors - my simple triangular shawl made from my Noro Kureyon scraps. Maybe I will make her one one day!

 This necklace was at the gallery and I have to say that I have never seen silver work as mind blowing as this. No, I was so thunder struck that I did not even get the artist's name. Apparently she works full time but creates these fantasies in her spare time. I wanted this necklace so badly I could scream --- along with a pair of her earrings. I think I am too short to be able to carry off the regal flair of this piece but it was just so awesome that I had to at least have a photo of it to drool over at home !

 If I can find her card I'll post the link later.

Next up - finally - will; be some of the new metal worked cards and "inches" for a swap. I have been working on...and a fabulous, simple shawl pattern from Berroco that looks way more difficult than it really is! I am running again against the clock. Surgery a week from today- and then time to get out from beyond the ether when I can get to work again !

'Stitch, Cloth, Paper and Paint: Mixed Media Ideas and Inspirations" by Angie Hughes

I am very fortunate that Search Press sent this book to me for review. I say fortunate because I get to drool over the book but also because, when I stopped to look at my own library, I was astounded at how many books I own that are from Search Press. Their books are lushly illustrated and always so well done. 

"Stitch, Cloth, Paper and Paint" could not have arrived at a better time for me personally. I was feeling somehow 'unfaithful' to my quilting roots by becoming so enamored with paper lately - this book happily combines all of the things I love working with.....cloth, paint and paper.

Angie Hughes is a name I have known - she writes often for a favorite magazine - Cloth, Paper Scissors. Her work is dynamic, colorful and terribly well executed. She describes herself as an embroiderer. The book opens with a thorough description (with photos) of the material selection that she utilizes most frequently - both what she calls 'base' fabrics and 'decorative'. Next up are great descriptions, that I especially appreciated, about paper and cardstock.  A section that is chock full of information about her use of embellishments and paints is included as well. I really enjoy reading about Angie Hughes process - a section that is well illustrated and contains a full of description of her techniques for reparing the base fabric, and then layering tissues and other fabrics round out the first part of the book.

Other sections of the book - all equally well done include:

• machine stitching

• hand stitching

• adding paints

• making your own embellishments from many varied materials

Detailed instructions are provided for several really good projects that combine all of the techniques covered in the book. They include a "Sunflower" book wrap, fabulous "Indian Artifact" and one of my favorites a "Sundial Triptych" that I want to try making soon - and it somewhat unusual for me to want to make something directly from a process sort of book.

If you get the idea that I really liked this book, you are correct. It is worthy of the 5 stars I gave it and it is a book that I don't think any artist or mixed media aficionado would regret adding to their library.

Note: this book was provided to me by Search Press for the purpose of an unbiased review. No other remuneration was received.

Roslyn Washington Get-A-Way

This first two photos are of the studio area in the Crazy Quilt Shop, happily run by owner and "hostess with the mostest" Nancy Bronk. She is one of the most welcoming shop owners I've come across.

I had planned to present these photos in order but was not prepared for the new upgrade to Blogger - so they are scrambled now. This was the second time I uploaded the photos since I gather one now has to "add selected" all at once - requiring the need to upload in order and also to add them in order. Oh well. we'll get by and you will get the idea!

Good friend Janet ran across this lovely little spot earlier this past summer when she was on a trip with her DH. Thought she - ...'wouldn't this make a great place for a retreat...' Several of us took her up on the idea and we planned our little jaunt for the first week in October. There were to be 5 of us originally but one had unexpected surgery and another caught the flu as we were preparing to leave. The minimum in the cottage was four and thankfully one of our number agreed to allow her share to remain "in the kitty" making our trip possible really. There is a lovely little 85 year old cottage just steps from the shop that is rented for retreats. It was run as a Bed and Breakfast so it is perfectly set up with period  furnishings and comfy beds and baths - and a fully equipped, beautiful kitchen. Nancy provides retreaters with a key to her proverbial kingdom - leaving the studio area open for all hour creating. The three of us, being of an age, were content to leave by 5 or 5:30, have an early dinner and then sat and gabbed while watching a large flat panel TV (better than the TV I have at home!).

Roslyn is the place the "Northern Exposure" was filmed. The 'Cicely Alaska' of Washington State. There are still many vestiges of Northern Exposure in the town. The "radio station" still is there and in full view. I will be posting all of the Town history photos in my next post. Ahhhhh! a lovely get-a-way. Thanks Janet for making it all happen. We are all looking forward to making this a yearly thing! Yeah!

Another view of the huge, well stocked studio area!

A beautiful line of trees that at the lunch rest stop Janet knew about from her earlier trip.

Heading up the highway on the first leg of the trip. Look at those glorious clouds!

This is the fabulous sign at the door to the Crazy Quilt Shop.

Shop owner Nancy Bronk .. not the best of photos -- but she is a delight! 

This is the top where the huge studio is. My work area was behind the OPEN sign!

The view from my work area over the 'open' sign!

Linda and Janet in front of the wonderful retreat cottage.

Part of the main street ... isn't it beautiful and authentic!

Another view of the foggy route up to Roslyn.

Trying To Get Back In Gear

I'm trying to blog this from my IPad - so it's a bit of a test of the program. I am also feeling lazy. I'll be happy if it works and will post the name of the app if it does !

Two friends and I went to Roslyn, Washington of "northern exposure" fame last Saturday. We had a lovely time. The Crazy Quilt Shop there, run by a lovely person named Nancy is the perfect getaway. The cottage next to the shop that is used for retreats is an old, beautiful cottage of 85 years.

Since returning home the weather has turned rainy, windy and cooler - typical late October weather for us. Dh is home also and so I added the rest of the week to vacation and have been enjoying resting, napping and not getting much done.

I did take a lot of photos. The town of Roslyn has a very interesting history and some amazing cemeteries that I could have spent hours in. I just got the photos uploaded on my 'real' computer so I will be posting lots more about the this lovely jaunt I enjoyed.

I was really pleased to get this rest before surgery this month. It's been a lovely respite. Hopefully I will get some cards in the post and finish up a couple of projects before I have to go back to work next week. I have not taken such a "do nothing" little vacation and it feels so nice for the moment to not 'have' to do anything but knit, doze and enjoy listening to the rain!

What 's your favorite kind of vacation? What relaxes you the most?





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